Flashing system for flat roofs



Oct. 15, 1968 H, H, EDWARDS 3,405,485

FLASHING SYSTEM FOR FLAT ROOFS Filed June '7, 1967 ENTOR.

ATTORNEYS HARLAN H. EDWARDS INV United States Patent O 3,405,485 FLASHING SYSTEM FOR FLAT ROOFS Harlan H. Edwards, 900 University St., Seattle, Wash. 98101 Filed June 7, 1967, Ser. No. 644,172 9 Claims. (Cl. 52-60) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roof flashing system for flat roofs in which the roofing material is extended over -an upstanding peripheral nailer and a cap is snapped into place over devices fastened to the nailer and is provided with a counterflashing.

The present invention relates to an improved border -ashing system for at roofs to replace use of conventional 4gravel stops.

For many years metal gravel stops lhave been used on the peripheries of flat roofs coated with tar to confine rain water gathering on the roof until it can be carried away by the downspouts, to protect the outer edges of the roofing, and to keep the tar from dripping off if softened by the sun. Perimeter water leakage problems commonly develop with the conventional gravel stop arrangement because bituminous materials become brittle in cold weather and have different contraction and expansion characteristics compared to metal stops with the result that the bituminous adhesion to the metal is sheared thereby permitting water to work its way around the stop into the building.

This invention aims to provide [an improved edge flashing assembly lfor flat roofs which will eliminate such leakage problems commonly encountered in the past with gravel stops, which will adjust automatically to building movement, which prevents water ponded on the roof from being wind blown off the roof onto people below, which may be readily removed with major components unharmed to be reapplied or used elsewhere, and which is easy to install or remove.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view in perspective showing an installation of a first embodiment of the flashing assembly of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 land 3 are fragmentary perspective views to a reduced scale showing respectively the installation of the edging strip, and then the 'butt clips of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing an installation of a second embodiment; and

F-lG. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the butt straps of the second embodiment.

lReferring to tfhe illustration of the first embodiment, it is seen that the flashing assembly comprises an edging strip 10, spaced butt clips 11, a cap 12 and a counterdashing 13 applied to a continuous wood nailer 14 having an inwardly beveled top face. This nailer is secured around the periphery of a flat roof on the deck sheathing or insulation 15 and is arranged to overlap the upper edge of the side wall facing 16, if any. A cove 17 is provided at the juncture of the roof and the inner face of the nailer.

The edging strip 10 is of general L cross-section providing wide and narrow anges 18-19, the rst of which is anchored by nails 20 to the upper face of the nailer 14 such that the narrow ange depends as a skirt in spaced relation to the inner face of the nailer. Lengths of the edging strip are butted end to end to extend continuously around the roof. Tongues 21 are struck downwardly from the wider flange 18 to uniformly space the skirt 19 inwardly from the nailer 14.

ICC

Prior to application of the edging strips 10 the nish sheet 22 of rooting is carried over the top of the nailer 14 and down the outer side thereof to be nailed at 23. The inner layers 24 of the rooting are stopped at the inner top edge of the nailer and secured by nails 25.

The clips are Iformed with a depnding inner lip 26 joining an upper flange 27, and with an outer flange 28 continuing from the upperflange downwardly to terminal rib comprising a cant 29 and an inturned bottom lip 30. To apply a clip 11 it is tilted to engage the inner lip 26 over the edging strip skirt 19 and then is pivoted downwardly to spring the outer lip 30 over the outer side of the nailer. Nails 32 are then applied adjacent the cant 29 to anchor the clip 11 to the nailer 14.

In transverse cross-section the lengths of cap 12 are simil-ar to the clips 11 in that they have an outside terminal rib formed by a cant 34 and inturned lip 35, an outer ange 36 extending from the cant 34 to a top sloped ange 37, Iand a depending inner skirt 38. This skirt forms an acute dihedral angle with an uptumed lip 40 which is adapted to 'be hooked over the bottom edge of the depending llange 19 of the edging strip 10. To supply the cap it is transversely cocked with its outer rib 34-35 elevated, and then after the inner lip 40 has been hooked over the flange 19, the cap is exed outwardly and pushed downwardly at its outer side to force the lip 35 over the underlying cants 30 of the related butt clips 11 whereupon it snaps back beneath the lips 30 of the butt clips. 11n this manner the cap 12 is snapped into position without need of perforating it with nails or other fastening devices.

The counteriiashing 13 has an upper rounded hook 42, a back Isection 43, and a skirt comprising outwardly V- shaped dihedral flanges 44-45 and a lbottom outturned lip 46. To install the counterashing its hook 42 is placed over the edge of the lip 40 of the cap 12 with the lower portion 46 of its skirt elevated above the roof, and then it is rotated clockwise into place as viewed in IFIG. 1 to bring the back section 43 into engagement with the tongues 21 and the adjacent -upturned portion of the rooting 22, and to bring the lower edge of the lip 46 against the roofing adjacent the lower edge of the cant 17.

Reviewing the installation of the parts 1043, first lengths of the edging strip are nailed in position in end butting relation and with adequate caulking or sealing compound at the ends and over the heads of the nails 20, rand then the butt clips 11 are applied at intervals with a center-to-center spacing corresponding to the length of the cap pieces 12 to be used. If particularly long lengths of cap pieces are to be utilized application of intermediate 'butt clips may be advantageous. Then after the tops of the butt clips are dressed with sealant, the cap pieces are snapped into place with their end butt joints centered over the butt clips and caulked by the sealant. It is then preferred to apply a bead 47 of caulking along the inner edge of the outer terminal lip 35 of the cap. The counteras'hing 13 is then rotated into position.

Continuing to the second embodiment, it is seen that there is no longer a continuous edging strip 10 and overlapping butt clips 11. Instead, there is provided longitudinally spaced butt straps 50 formed with an outer rib 51-52, outer ilange 53, top sloped ange 54, and inner skirt 55, corresponding to the previously desc-ribed rib 29-30, ange 28, flange 27, and skirt 19, respectively. Spacer angle clips `60 are welded at intervals to the underside of the top ange 54 to present a depending flange 61 corresponding to the tongues 21, or in the alternative the spacing flange 61 can also be struck down as a tongue from the top lian-ge 54. Preferably the spacing between the outer flange 53 and Spacer flange 61 is made slightly greater than the width of the nailer 1-4 to give tolerance during installation in case one of the nailers 14 -is warped. The butt straps 50 lare secured to the nailer 14 by nails 62 at the top and nails 63 adjacent the outer cant with the same spacing as in the case of the Ibutt clips 11. They are similarly dressed with sealant to make water-tight joints when the cap lengths 12 are snapped 4into place each with its inner lip 40 hooked over the skirt 19 and its outer rib 34-35 over the rib 51-52. Then the lower edge is sealed at 47 and the counterflashing 13 applied as before.

In addition, V-shaped spreader clips 70 can be used with either embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the spreader clip is engaged against the hook 40 of the cap 12 beneath the counterflashing 13 and the lower edge is then forced into the vertex between the faces 43-44 of the counterflashing to keep the counterflashing tight :against the spacer flange 61 and roofing 22 so that it will not flutter under adverse wind conditions. To assist in holding the spreader clips 70 in position at intervals along the cap lengths, the upper edge lportion of the counterilashing ange 44 may be outwardly dimpled at 71 adjacent the ends of the counterflashing to catch the lower edge of the spreader clips.

From the foregoing description and related drawings it will be apparent that with either embodiment it will be virtually impossible for water on the -roof to work its way past the flashing assembly and beneath the roofing 22, 24. In case of need of repairs to the roofing, the counterflashing 13 and cap 12 can be readily removed without damaging the parts. Neither installation or removal requires skilled or experienced workers.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of my now-preferred illustrated embodiment. Changes in the details of construction may -be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is accordingly my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims -be given the broadest interpretations to which the employed language fairly admits.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination with an elongate-d nailer having an inner kface, top face and outer face covered with roofing, locking means anchored to the nailer fand providing a down-turned locking lip spaced a predetermined distance inwardly from said inner face and providing a horizontal locking rib adjacent the bottom of the outer face of the nailer, and elongated snap-on cap means covering the top Iand outer faces of the nailer and overlying said locking means, said cap means having an upturned lip along its inner edge hooking over said down-tu-rned lip and a snap rib along its outer edge arranged and adapted to be snapped over said locking rib by lateral flexing of the cap means after said lips have been engaged.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which a counterashing overlies a major portion of the roofing covering the inner face of the nailer and has an upper downturned hook engaging said upturned lip.

3. The combination according to claim 1 in which said locking means provides a down-turned spacer lip spaced toward said inner face r.from said locking lip and arranged to engage the portion of the rooting covering the upper portion of said inner face of the nailer.

4. The combination according to claim 1 in which a counterashing overlies a major portion of the roofing covering the inner face of the nailer, said counterflashing having at the top an upwardly arched hook bearing at the back -against said spacer lip and having its free edge hooked over said upturned lip of the cap means.

5. The combination according to claim 4 in which an upwardly arched locking spacer is wedged between said upturned lip and said counterashing and holds the latter against said spacer lip.

6. The combination according to claim 1 in which said nailer and cap ymeans slope downwardly at the top from said outer face to the inner face.

7. The combination according to claim 1 in which said locking means comprises spaced straps each providing a said locking lip at one longitudinal edge and a said locking rib at the other longitudinal edge, and which said ca-p means comprises lengths of elongated cap members cutting at the ends over the center portion of a respective said strap, each said cap member providing a said upturned lip and snap rib therealong.

8. The combination according to claim 1 in which said locking means comp-rises an edging strip providing said upturned lip and plural butt clips each providing a said locking rib, an-d in which said cap means comprises lengths of elongated cap members butting at the ends over the center portion of a respective said clip, each said cap member providing a said upturned lip and snap rib therealong.

9. The combination `according to claim 1 in which said cap means comprises lengths off elongated cap means butting at their ends over said locking means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,012,376 12/1961 Reddy et al. 52-96 3,237,352 3/1966` Edwards 52-60 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

S. D. BURKE III, Assistant Examiner. 

